"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us. If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also." 1 John 4:17-21. He first loved us, and that love drew us to Him. He is perfect, and we are not, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;" Romans 3:23. Without His love we would be doomed to a perpetual cycle of sin, which leads us to death. His perfect love shows us the way, and Jesus is that way. He is the only way to salvation, "Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me." John 14:6.
"For whether we be beside ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your cause. For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead: And that he died for all, that they which live should not henceforth live unto themselves, but unto him which died for them, and rose again. Wherefore henceforth know we no man after the flesh: yea, though we have known Christ after the flesh, yet now henceforth know we him no more. Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation; To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation." 2 Corinthians 5:13-19. Since God is reconciling us unto Himself, we are called to love as He loves, "Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." Romans 13:8. It is the only new commandment Jesus brought us, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another." John 13:34. Loving everyone is a much easier way to live, and it is not grievous because it frees us from the sin that dominates this world, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous." 1 John 5:3.
We need to decide who we love, "Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Matthew 22:37. Then, if we have decided to love Jesus, we will abide in Him, "At that day ye shall know that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him. Judas saith unto him, not Iscariot, Lord, how is it that thou wilt manifest thyself unto us, and not unto the world? Jesus answered and said unto him, If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him." John 14:20-23. Loving Jesus requires more than words, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth." 1 John 3:18 and "Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:" 1 Peter 1:22.
We can do this by surrendering our lives to Jesus, which means we become a new creature powered by the love of God and able to withstand the evil that the devil has planned for us, "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." 2 Timothy 1:7.
God has placed us in unique places throughout this world. This blog is about sharing His Word; please share it with those you believe would be blessed by hearing it. Bless you! If you want to receive the Quarterly Newsletter, email us at bill@reasoningwithgod.com. If you want to read past blogs, go to https://www.reasoningwithgod.com/blog.
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